Sucker rod wrench



Oct. 8, 1940. J. F. szssow 2,217,238

SUCKER ROD WRENCH Filed April 15, 1939 2 .Sheets-Sheet 2 'll/l W $11 [I] I I James F 5/5500 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUOKER ROD WRENCH James F. Sisson, Hominy, Okla.

Application April 15, 1939, Serial No. 268,114

7 Claims.

The invention relates to sucker rod wrenches used in connection with sucker rods of oil wells, and has for its object to provide a device of this character, which may be easily and quickly placed on the upper end and T of an oil well tubing string, and provided with means for gripping a sucker rod section for rotating the section for a connecting or disconnecting operation.

Also to provide a ratchet connection between the stationary bracket on the tubing T and the rod gripping means whereby the tube may be rotated upon the rotation of the handle member.

A further object is to provide a substantially annular handle member for operating the device, thereby obviating the possibility of injury to a workman by the handle should the workman lose control of the handle, as is now the common dimculty with rod wrenches.

A further object is to provide an opening in one side of the device and the handle member for the reception of the tubing T and rod extending axially therethrough, thereby allowing the wrench to be placed on the tubing T and the sucker rod. Also to provide a removable segment for closing the open side of the device after the sucker rod is placed in position.

A further object is to provide the member, carried by the T, with an upwardly extending sleeve having a shoe groove therein for allowing limited axial'movement of the handle rotated sleeve and with vertically elongated ratchet teeth with which dogs carried by the handle sleeve cooperate for holding the handle and handle sleeve against retrograde rotation and at the same time allowing a vertical movement of the handle sleeve as a rod section is unscrewed or screwed to place.

A further object is to provide the handle sleeve with rod gripping slips for securely clamping the rotatable sleeve to the rod section above the tubing. I

A further object is to provide the operating wheel spokes with inwardly extending threaded sections slidably connected thereto and threaded through the wheel sleeve and pivotally connected to the slips for controlling the clamping of the rod section above the tubing.

A further object is to provide a ratchet operated Wheel controlled wrench adapted to be laterally assembled on the tubing T and clamped to the T and constructed so that the rod section above the tubing will be received therein and held for a rod section disconnecting operation.

With the above and other b ec s. in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wrench, showing the same applied to the upper end of a tubing string and T and in position for use.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the upper end of the wrench in the plane of the operating wheel, showing the rod gripping slips.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the ratchet portion of the wrench.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the wrench in the plane of the shoe groove, showing the shoes therein.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the stationary member of the wrench showing the same on the tubing T and parts broken away to better show the structure.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the removable segment.

The wrench is particularly adapted forscrewing and unscrewing sucker rod sections if it is desired to part the rod string in a hole. Often the rods become stuck in a well hole and it becomes necessary to recover as many sections as possible. The lower end of the string, under. these conditions, is held tight, and it is necessary to turn the upper end of the string for unscrewing operation, trusting that the joint closest to the bottom will be the one to loosen first. Usually an upward pull is put in the string during the unscrewing operation, and this puts the strain on the upper joints so that the parting of the rod string will take place as far down in the hole as possible. To accomplish this, it is necessary to rotate the upper end of the string many times to break the joint from the derrick floor, as more than one joint will unscrew at times, hence it will be seen the wrench will have to be rotated a great number of times by the operator, and there is danger in the old type of straight wrench of the operator being injured or killed should he lose control of the wrench. The same is true in a rod connecting operation down in the hole.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates the upper e d of a tubing string which is provided with a T 2 having a discharge pipe 3 of usual construction. The sucker rod string extends axially through the tubing string and its upper section is designated by the numeral 4.

The wrench comprises a stationary body portion having an opening 5 in one side in which is received the tubing T 2 as clearly shown in Figure 5. Opposite sides of the body portion 5 have threaded therethrough bolts to, the inner .ends of which cooperate with clamping shoes I,

groove the shoes ll of spring actuated levers l2,

carried by the rotatable sleeve l3 extend, as clearly shown in Figure 4. The shoes are narrow, hence the rotatable sleeve l3 may axially move during a screwing or unscrewing operation without becoming disconnected from the sleeve 9.

The sleeve 9, above the shoe groove III, is provided with ratchet teeth I 4, which are also vertically elongated. and the sleeve I3 is provided with oppositely disposed spring actuated dogs l5 which cooperate with the teeth for holding the sleeve against retrograde movement on the sleeve 9 during an unscrewing or screwing operation, and according to the position of the reversible spring actuated dogs IS.

The rotatable sleeve I 3 is clamped to the upper end of the sucker rod section 4 by means of slips l6 carried 'by the inner ends of threaded members l1, which members. are threaded through opposite sides of the rotatable sleeve l3 and extend outwardly and terminate in wrench engaging heads l8 and sleeves l9 telescopically engaging the inwardly extending spokes of the annular operating wheel 2|, therefore it will be seen that the slips can be forced inwardly for a rod gripping operation or moved outwardly into the chambers 22 of the sleeve l3 for allowing the rod to be received or removed through the open side 23 of the sleeve l3 when the open side 23 registers with the open side 24 of the stationary sleeve 9,

When assembling the device the body portion 5 is placed and clamped on the T 2 with the sleeve is and the removable segment 25 removed, clearly shown in Figure 5. After the body portion 5 is in position on the T, the removable segment is forced downwardly into the opening 24 so its dovetails 26 will be received in the grooves 21, thereby closing the opening 24. The lower end of the segment 25 terminates in a T-shaped portion 28 which is then bolted to the upper side of the body portion 5 by means of bolts 29. It-

will be noted that the upper end of the segment 25 is provided with ratchet teeth 29 which will be in proper relation with the ratchet teeth I 4 for the ratcheting operation. The dovetailed connection of the segment 25 prevents spreading of the sleeve 9. After the segment 25 is placed in position the rotatable sleeve I3 is placed over the upper end of the rod section 4 by a lateral movement so the rod section will pass through the open side 23 thereof and the sleeve I3 is then moved downwardly with the shoes II in inoperative outer position until said shoes are received in the shoe groove l0. During this downward movement the ratchet pawls l5 are held in outer position by the pins 30, which have been previously moved outwardly and rotated. ninety degrees and positioned in the notches ii of the bosses 32. Before the starting of the rod rotating operation the dogs I! are rotated to properly position the same for a screwing or unscrewing operation, and at which time the pins 30 are received in the slots "of the bosses 22, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

After the sleeve I: has been placed in position and the shoes and dogs properly positioned, a wrench is placed on the headed members l8 and the slips I i are then forced into close binding engagement with the rod 4 for clamping the rotatable sleeve "to the rod as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The operating wheel 2| is annular shaped as shown in Figure l, and its rim is interrupted at one side and connected to the reduced upper end of the-rotatable sleeve l3 by means of spokes 20a at opposite sides of the split opening 23, there- .zo'

fore it will be seen that the operating wheel will not interfere with the assembling of the sleeve IS on the rod and thence downwardly onto the stationary sleeve 9 Heretofore straight wrenches have been used, however it will be seen that by providing a round operating wheel if the operator loses control thereof the wheel will simply spin and will not fly around and injure or kill the operator.

From the above it will be seen that a sucker rod wrench is provided which-is simple in construction and one which may be easily and quickly applied to the upper end of a tubing string and to the sucker. It will also be seen that a ratcheting operation is utilized between the rotatable sleeve l3 and the stationary sleeve 9, thereby preventing retrograde movement of the operating wheel and means is provided for reversing the ratcheting operation so a rod section may be screwed into another section or unscrewed therefrom.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. An oil well rod wrench comprising a stationary member mounted on a stationary tube having lateral branch pipes through which the rod extends, the lower end of said stationary member being bifurcated for the reception of said stationary tube and branch pipes, a rotatable member mounted on the stationary member, a ratchet connection between the rotatable member and the stationary member, a rod clamp carried by the rotatable member and a handle member carried by the rotatablev member.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the handle member is annular shaped, one side of said stationary member, rotatable member and handle member being open whereby upon registry thereof the device as a whole may be laterally assembled on the rod, tube and branch pipes.

3. The combination with a rotatable rod wrench for rods extending into oil well casings, said wrench comprising a stationary member and a rotatable member, a ratchet connection between the rotatable member and the stationary member, rod clamping means carried by the rotatable member, of an annular handle member carried by the rotatable member, said annular handle member being provided with inwardly extending spokes, said rod clamping means being controlled by bolts threaded into the rotatable member and telescopically guided on spokes of the handle member.

4. An oil well rod wrench comprislnga bifurcated stationary member arching the upper end of a stationary pipe, clamping members carried by said stationary member and adapted to clamp said stationary member on the stationary pipe, an upwardly extending stationary sleeve carried by the upper end of the stationary member and having'an opening in one side thereof extending downwardly and through one side of the stationary member in communication with the. bifurcation, a rotatable member mounted on the sleeve, said sleeve having vertically disposed teeth,

ratchet members carried by the rotatable member and cooperating with the teeth on the sleeve, said teeth being relatively elongated for allowing vertical movement of the rotatable member, a toothed removable member within the opening in the sleeve and closing the opening in the bifurcated member, a rod clamping means carried by the rotatable member and a handle member carried by the rotatablemember.

5. A device as set forthin claim 4 including a) spring actuated dogscarried by the rotatable annular handle member carried by the rotatable" member, spokes connecting said handle member to the rotatable member, two of said spokes being in spaced relation and forming the ends of the handle member and extending inwardly and anchored to the rotatable member on opposite sides of the opening therein.

7. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the toothed removable member is provided with interengaged connections with the sides of the opening in the sleeve, thereby preventing spreading of the sleeve.

JAMES F. SISSON. 

